Machine for closing the fold of a sheet of metal



Dec. 11, 1928. 1,694,596

T. J. KELLEHER MACHINE FOR CLOSING THE FOLD OF A SHEET 0? METAL Filed May 16, 1927 aim;

. m II g II Ill 1 uni-m1 Lime/2W Patented Dec. 11, 1928.

UNHTE STATES THOMAS J. KELLEHER,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MACHINE FOR CLOSING THE FOLD OF A SHEET OF METAL.

Application filed May 16,

To those skilled in the art it is known that a portion of a sheet of ductile metal may be placed in a bending brake, and secured between the jaws thereof, and the remainder of said sheet may then be folded over, so that when said sheet is removed from the brake the two parts of the sheet obtained by said fold will be in planes intersecting at an angle of substantially sixty degrees. And

it is also known that it often occurs that it is necessary to bring the parts of said partially folded sheet of metal into substantially parallel planes.

This invention relates to a machine whereby a partially folded sheet of metal may be readily folded so that the parts thereof will be in substantially parallel planes.

Among the objects of this invention is to obtain a machine of the kind recited, which is simple in construction, which is durable,

which is not liable to become broken or injured, and which will maintain the parts of the sheet of metal which is operated upon thereby in perfect planes. An additional object is to obtain a machine of the kind recited which is easily understood and manipulated, and which is efiicient in operation. An additional object is to obtain a machine of the kind recited which may be placed on the 39 floor in front of a bending brake, and not interfere with the operation of said'brake, and to which a partially folded sheet of metal may be readily transferred to complete the folding thereof.

In the drawing referred to Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a machine embodying this invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section of the machine illustrated in Fig. 1, taken on line 2-2 of said figure and viewed in the direct-ion indicated by arrows.

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section of the machine illustrated in Fig. 1, taken on line 33 of said figure and viewed in the direction indicated by arrows: and

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical section of said machine, taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1 and viewed as indicated by arrows.

A reference character applied to designate a given part indicates said part throughout the several figures of the drawing wherever the same appears.

1 represents an I-beam, which is provided with the body portion 2 and the flanges 3 and 4. 5 represents slots in body portion 2 of I-beam 1, which are at substantially right 1927. Serial No. 191,887.

angles to flanges 3 and 4. 6 represents a right angle L-beam or bar, one member of which is in a horizontal plane and rests on body portion 2 of beam 1, and is movable laterally thereon. 7 represents bolts which extend through slots 5 and into the horizontal member of L-bar 6. The purpose of bolts 7 and slots 5 is to prevent longitudinal movement of L-bar 6, when it is moved laterally. 8 and 9 respectively represent bars which are pivotally joined by bolts 10. One end of bars 8 are pivotally mounted on member 2 of I-beam 1, by bolts 11. 12 represent bolts by means of which one end of bars 9 are pivotally attached to the horizontal member of L-beam or bar 6. 13 represents a longitudinally movable bar which is attached to the bars 8 and 9 by the bolts 10, which extend therethrough as well as through said bars. It will be observed that the bars 8 and 9, mounted as described, form a toggle joint, which is operable by means of longitudinally movable bar 13, and that as said bar 13 is moved longitudinally it will also be moved laterally, because of bars 8 being pivotally mounted on bolts 11, which are substantially immovable in member 2 of I-beam 1. And also, that when bars 8 and 9 are in substantially the position indicated by broken lines 14, 15, L-bar or beam 6 is near to contact with member 4 of Lbeam 1, as is indicated by broken lines in Fig. 2.

16 represents a bar which is illustrated as secured to member 2 of I-beam or bar 1, by bolts 17, 18. 19 represents a lever which is fulcrumed on bar 16 byboltor pin 20, (see Fig. 4). Lever 19 is represented as provided with slot 21, and as bent so as not to extend over the ends of bars 1 and 6, when the bar 6 is retracted from member 4 of bar 1. 22 represents a pivot which is illustrated as extending through slot 21, and is mounted on bar 13, and 23 represents a. roller which is mounted on pivot 22, and in said slot. The roller 23 is sufficiently long to permit the lateral movement of bar 13, as it is moved longitudinally. When the lever 19 is turned on pivot 20, which forms its fulcrum, from the position thereof which is illustrated by full lines in Fig. 4, to the position which is indicated by bro-ken lines in said figure the bar 13 is moved longitudinally, and forces the bars 8 and 9 from their posit-ion illustrated by full lines to the position indicated by broken lines 14, 15 in Fig. 1, and the L-har or beam 6 is thereby moved laterally from the position 1n which it is illustrated by full lines in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, into substantially the position in which it is indicated by broken lines in Fig. 2.

To force the parts of a partially folded sheet of metal into substantially parallel planes the bend or fold of said sheet is placed. between the vertical part of the L-bar or beam 6 and the member 4 of the I-beam 1, and the handle 19 is moved as last above recited, to the right as illustrated in Fig. 4, from the position in which it is illustrated by full lines to or towards the position indicated in said figure by broken lines. The thickness of the metal of the partially folded sheet determines the extent of the movement of lever 19 to the right I claim:

1. A beam having a vertical member and a horizontal member, in combination with an additional beam having a vertical member and a horizontal member movably mounted on said first named beam, means to prevent longitudinal movement of said additional beam, a plurality oi sets of bars pivotally joined, one bar of each set pivotally mounted on said first namedbeam and the remaining bar of each set of bars pivotally mounted on the horizontal member of said additional beam, a longitudinally movable member pivotally mounted on said sets of bars and means to control the longitudinal movement of said last named member.

2. A beam having a vertical member and a horizontal member in combination with an additional beam having a. vertical member and a horizontal member movably mounted on said first named beam, aplurality of slots in said first named beam and bolts extending through said slots and into the horizontal member of said additional beam, and means to move said additional beam laterally to control the relative position of said vertical members of said beams.

3. A beam having a vertical member and a horizontal member, in combination with an additional beam having a vertical member and a horizontal member movably mounted on the horizontal member of said first named beam, a plurality of slots in said first named beam, bolts extending through said slots and into the horizontal member of said additional beam, a plurality of sets of pivotally mounted bars, a longitudinally movable member pivotally mounted on the pivots joining said sets of bars, a lever, and a connection between said lever and said longitudinally movable memher.

4. A beam having a vertical member and a horizontal member, in combination with an additional beam having a vertical member and a horizontal member movably mounted on the horizontal member of said first named beam, a plurality of slots in the horizontal member of said first named beam, bolts extending through said slots and into the horizontal member of said additional beam, a longitudinally movable member, a plurality of sets of pivotally mounted bars mounted on the pivots joining said sets of bars, a lever, a connection between said lever andsaidlongitudinally movable member, said connection arranged to permit a limited lateral movement to said longitudinally movable member.

5. A beam having a vertical member and a horizontal member, in combination with an additional beam having a vertical member and a horizontal member movably mounted on the horizontal member of said first named beam, means to prevent longitudinal movement of said additional beam, a plurality of sets of bars pivotally joined, one bar of each set pivotally mounted on the horizontal member of said first named beam and the remaining bar of each set pivotally mounted on the horizontal member of said additional beam, a longitudinally movable member pivotally joined to said sets of pivotally joined bars, a pivot adjacent to one end of said longitudinally movable member, a roller on said pivot, a pivotally mounted lever provided with a slot, and said roller extending through said slot.

THOMAS J. KELLEHER. 

